Remain campaigner could be new British PM

DESPITE backing the losing Remain campaign in last week's UK referendum on membership of the European Union, British Home Secretary Theresa May has put up her hand to replace outgoing Prime Minister David Cameron.

In a letter to The Times, 59-year-old Ms May made a pitch for the top job. "Following last week's referendum, our country needs strong, proven leadership to steer us through this period of economic and political uncertainty, and to negotiate the best possible terms as we leave the European Union," she wrote.

In a thinly veiled swipe at key Leave campaigner Boris Johnson, her likely main rival for the PM's job, she added: "Some need to be told that what the government does isn't a game. It's a serious business that has real consequences for people's lives."